(Joanna
Frankel)
Superlative Vivaldi Baroque music,
exquisitely played. (Review by Keith Millar)
There can be no better way of brightening
up a damp, misty and somewhat chilly Sunday morning than by listening to some
superlative Vivaldi Baroque music, exquisitely played by soloist Joanna
Frankel, and the Baroque 2000 ensemble.
That is exactly what was on offer at the
historical Mariannhill Monastery Church when the Baroque 2000 ensemble, in its
15th anniversary celebration concert, performed Vivaldi’s magnificent Four
Seasons group of violin concertos.
Written by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi
in 1723, Four Seasons has become one of the world’s most popular and recognised
Baroque works of all time.
Each concerto represents a different season
of the year and provides wonderful descriptive musical images of that season.
Many everyday sounds are heard in the music, such as the singing of birds, the
barking of a dog and the buzzing of flies. Also depicted is more dramatic
action such as a violent summer storm, the biter chill of icy winds in winter, a
peasant celebration in autumn and depiction of a flower-strewn meadow in spring.
Each concerto is accompanied by a sonnet,
written by Vivaldi, which describes the scenes depicted in the music. The
inclusion of these sonnets in the programme notes certainly added a different
dimension to the audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the performance.
Joanna Frankel is a gifted violinist. She
has performed widely around the world and is currently concertmaster for the
Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. She gave a virtuoso performance of Four
Seasons concerto’s on her 1846 Joseph Vuillaume violin. It was commanding,
exciting and vibrant experience. Frankel is an intriguing artist to watch, as
she is very animated and seems to live every note and nuance she plays.
The Baroque 2000 ensemble accompanying
Frankel are mostly full time musicians from the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic. Their
involvement with Baroque 2000 is a spare-time activity which they partake in because
of their love of this genre of music, and because of a desire to promote Baroque
works which are not often heard on the main stream concert stage. This
sentiment was apparent in their skilful performance which was packed with
passion and exuberance.
It was gratifying that a there was a good
turnout for this concert despite the inclement weather. Durban audiences can be
fickle and often don’t leave home unless the weather is absolutely perfect. However,
on this occasion they turned up and were rewarded with a brilliant performance
of memorable music.
Baroque 2000 is one of Durban’s cultural
gems. Their concerts in the beautiful setting of the Mariannhill Monastery are
always a delight. They have two concerts left this year, on November 24 and
December 22 (Christmas Programme), both at 11h00 in the morning. Diarise these
dates now to make sure you don’t miss out on what are sure to be very special
occasions.
Contact Michel on 031 312 5539 or 082 303
5241 or at sursouth@iafrica.com for
more details. (Keith Millar)
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